Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 110 Pig Head Bar

Time flew by and it was almost the end of October. After Friday's classes, Stuart and the others were already incredibly excited, chattering away about what they were going to do in Hogsmeade the next day.

This behavior drew unanimous contempt from Roger and the other upperclassmen, even though they hadn't performed any better than Stuart and the others when they first went to Hogsmeade.

Perhaps it will be even more outrageous.

For once, Ike wasn't engrossed in his studies. Instead, he sat next to Terry, making small talk. Having not participated in such activities for a long time, he felt a little out of place. Even Stuart and the others were surprised, but they only made a few teasing remarks before letting it go.

That's what friends are like. Even if you've been gone for a long time, when you return, you'll still feel the same as before.

On Saturday morning, after breakfast, the young wizards walked out of the school in small groups. Just as they reached the foyer, they saw Filch holding a long roll of parchment, carefully checking the identity of each person about to leave.

"Don't try to fool me!" Filch said menacingly, with his habitually annoying tone. "No one can escape my eyes!"

Everyone was used to Filch's way of speaking, so they simply ignored him and continued chatting and laughing as they walked out.

Ike followed behind Stuart and the others, a smile on his face, carrying a gray cloth bag, looking no different from the other young wizards who were preparing to spend lavishly in Hogsmeade.

Of course, this cloth bag was enchanted with a Seamless Stretch Charm, and it contained many potions that Ike had brewed when he was pushing his potion level, as well as some alchemical trinkets, far exceeding the amount the bag was supposed to hold.

When it comes to sales, it's normal to have enough stock.

Not far from the castle, Ike saw the familiar Thestrals carriage. This time, they would take the young wizards directly to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. After passing through the school gates and just past the place where they disembarked every year, the carriage stopped.

As soon as I got off the bus, I saw rows of houses arranged in a neat and orderly fashion. Some were emitting smoke from their chimneys, while others looked a bit dilapidated, but they didn't evoke any dislike; instead, they possessed a unique beauty. Under the sunlight, it looked like a painting.

As they walked further in, the most attractive thing was the shops on both sides: Honeydukes, Zoco's Joke Shop, Three Broomsticks Bar, and many other shops that they had been talking about lately appeared before their eyes, making the group of young wizards who were visiting Hogsmeade for the first time unable to resist.

"Let's go! To Honeydukes!" Stuart grabbed Terry's arm. "Didn't you see they've already gone?"

Watching the two dash towards Honey Duke with a smile, Anthony and Michael shrugged and followed closely behind.

Ike waved goodbye to the four of them, then slowly walked along the road, casually looking at the scenery of the village.

Hogsmeade wasn't big, and it didn't take long for Ike to walk around and find his destination for the day—the location of the Hog's Head.

This is a pub with a glorious history; in 1612, the goblins used it as their headquarters during their rebellion. Perhaps that's why it has been preserved, even though it might be the worst building in all of Hogsmeade.

Turning down the alley next to the Owl Post Office, Ike quietly put on his hood, and with a slight flick of his fingers, a simple camouflage spell landed on his face.

This was a little trick I learned from swindling old Voldemort back then, but it's very practical. It's a spell that wizards use to hide their identities, and you can't learn this at Hogwarts.

Thirteen-year-old Ike has grown taller, even taller than when he first started school, now nearly 1.8 meters. With his disguise, one cannot tell from his appearance that he is only a third-year wizard.

Ignoring the ugly sign above the dilapidated wooden door, Ike reached out and pushed the door open, then went inside.

The bar was quiet and somewhat dark, with a pungent smell that resembled the stench of mutton or a mixture of various rotten things, making Ike a little tipsy.

Inside, there was only a tall, thin old man leaning against the bar. His hair and beard were white and very dirty, as if he hadn't groomed them in a long time, which surprisingly suited the dirty bar quite well.

"Butterbeer." Ike walked straight to the bar and sat down, his voice, altered by magic, sounding a little hoarse.

"One Gallon." The old man glanced at it, then skillfully took out a dirty cup and placed it next to a wooden barrel that looked like a rotten one. He filled the cup with butterbeer and pushed it over.

"Take your things and sit down in that spot, and wait!" The old man's tone was aggressive as he pointed to a seat in the far corner of the bar.

Ike obediently took the butterbeer and went over. As soon as he sat down, he heard the old man say again, "Be smart, only take things when you see Galon!"

"Also, a silence-mute spell is a good idea!"

"Newbie..."

Ike didn't say anything. He sat down and didn't move, only taking sips from time to time, and waited quietly.

After a while, three people pushed open the door and walked in. At first glance, they were three middle-aged wizards I didn't recognize who weren't trying to hide their identities. They naturally sat down at a seat near the bar and then started chatting quietly.

After a while, the bar gradually filled up with more people, but there were still only seven or eight. Apart from the three, the rest were not together and were scattered around the bar, making the small room seem a bit crowded.

People came and went, but no one came over to Ike. Some glanced in his direction, but most simply ignored him. It wasn't until he finished his entire glass of butterbeer that Ren finally came over.

This is a witch wearing a thick black veil that extends to her feet, and she smells strongly of smoke.

"What do you have?"

The witch spoke, and it was obvious that her voice had been manipulated by magic.

"Potions and alchemical items."

Ike's words were concise and to the point.

"What do you want?"

"Garon".

The witch chuckled softly, a sound that was quite jarring. Ike frowned, and with a flick of his finger, a silencing spell and a blurring spell bound the two of them together.

This silent and unarmed spell clearly intimidated the witch, since anyone capable of such a feat was no pushover, and she even straightened her posture.

"I need to see what you're selling."

"Where's Galon?"

The witch then placed a Gringotts-style money pouch on the table, opening it to reveal it overflowing with Galleons. Ike moved his fingers again, obtaining a very satisfactory number, before finally taking things out of the pouch.

"Hmm... Vitality tonics, antidotes, general healing potions..." the witch accurately named each potion. "Not bad, and compound potions too?"

Ike ignored him and continued taking out bottle after bottle until the entire table was overflowing before he stopped.

"How many are there in total?"

"78 bottles."

"Okay, 300 Galleons."

"Not enough." Ike shook his head.

The witch was silent for a moment before saying, "I need to see your alchemical artifacts."

Upon hearing this, Ike took out all of the dozen or so alchemical items. The witch fell silent again, and after a long while, she took out another money bag.

"350 Galleons. Alchemy items aren't very valuable, and these aren't anything special." He then pointed to the cloth bag, "And this, I want this too."

"360 Galron," Ekko blurted out a number.

"make a deal."

The witch readily nodded, then took out some more Galleons from a pouch behind her to make up the payment. Ike took the money pouch, checked the amount, and handed over the cloth bag.

One by one, the witch put the items on the table back into the cloth bag, and then extended a hand: "Pleasant to do business with you."

Ike glanced at the hand wearing a black glove but ignored it.

"I have another batch of potions after Christmas."

"Okay, I'll be there on time."

Nodding, Ike dispelled the magic and got up to walk outside.

The other people in the bar seemed used to it, and none of them even glanced over. The old man at the bar did glance at the witch, then looked disdainful, but said nothing.

(End of this chapter)